A Spring Tryst Gone Awry

Shang Mi and her older sister are both sent north to Beiyan to cement a political marriage. With the marriage contract and portrait her sister gives her, Shang Mi recognizes at a glance the man she is promised to: Yan Hegui, coldly handsome, proud, and imposing.

Once she enters the royal court, she dutifully fulfills her role as a princess sent to marry. Yet Yan Hegui treats her with a father's severity, never showing her the slightest kindness.

He scolds her for being clumsy and dressing too flamboyantly...

She knows he is displeased with her.

Even after their wedding, Yan Hegui remains rigid and coldhearted. Yet each night, he holds her in an unyielding embrace, refusing to let her go until the third watch.

She thinks this is simply how their life will be.

Until one day, while bringing him soup, she hears her sister weeping and lamenting that their marriages have been mixed up.

"Brother-in-law, the marriage contract was sent by mistake. You were never meant to marry my younger sister..."

Shang Mi stands stunned behind the curtain, waiting for the verdict. After a long silence, all she hears from inside the room is:

"So what?"

*

Yan Hegui wields immense power and never tolerates the slightest mistake. His ruthless decisiveness makes everyone fear him.

When two princesses from a foreign land arrive to marry, his betrothed, Shang Luo, doesn't dare acknowledge him. Instead, her younger sister-in-law approaches without hesitation, her eyes sparkling with affection as she sweetly calls him her husband.

A princess of a nation, so frivolous and undisciplined, is hardly fit for such a weighty role.

Already harboring a grudge, he assumes she is full of schemes. He watches coldly as the sisters turn against each other and reap what they sow.

Yet as the wedding date draws near, he can see no trace of pretense in her affection for him...

Could she truly be so deeply in love with him?

On the eve of the wedding, Yan Hegui lies awake all night.

So be it. This princess from an enemy nation will only be safe if she stays under his watchful eye.

He can change the bride, then.

Reader's Guide

The male lead loves only the female lead from beginning to end. Both are pure in body and heart.

1. Contains fictional elements. The setting is an imaginary dynasty, so please don't scrutinize the historical details.

2. One-on-one romance + happy ending + both leads are each other's first.

3. Focuses on the romance, with the plot as a complement.

4. Age gap

Blurb dated December 20, 2023

Theme: Spring blooms amid the thorns